We’ve gotten beyond that age-old debate about whether women do or don’t color their hair. (For the record, most women — nearly 65 percent, according to a Procter & Gamble survey — dye their hair.)

Now the issue is whether women can forgo the salon, saving hundreds of dollars to color their hair at home without its going purple, green, yellow or just plain dull.

“Yes, you can,” says Jason Backe, Clairol color director and master colorist at Ted Gibson salon in New York. “For the last 15 years, I’ve told women to go to a salon and not do it at home. Back in the day, the products were harsh — a urine test at the doctor’s office could tell you if you colored your hair. Technology has changed dramatically, and at-home hair-color treatments are more sophisticated.”

Clairol Nice ’N Easy recently created the Perfect 10 hair-color treatment, $13.99, which can be applied in 10 minutes and doesn’t contain harsh chemicals such as ammonia. It comes in 24 colors.

Shampoo less.Shampooing too often can cause color to fade. (And doesn’t your hair perform better when it’s a little dirty?) Backe recommends shampooing every three days in cool water with a color-preserving shampoo and conditioner. (He says cool water keeps the hair cuticle smooth, locking in color.) After workouts, use just conditioner and rinse with cool water.

Follow directions.You can avoid most mistakes if you read the instructions. Don’t leave color on too long.

Be realistic.Stick within two shades of your natural color. “When you try to go further, the results are less predictable,” said Backe, the colorist behind actress Ann Hathaway’s rich brunette locks.